One of my birds is behaving oddly.

[RunChixRun]

Hi all,

Im concerned about one by birds. She is a Satin. She is definitely the runt in the coop but she holds her own and actually is a little more aggressive (although not really) than the other birds. Everyone seams real happy. She went into the laying boxes yesterday afternoon (she has been laying for a month now) and didn't come out. When I put them to bed at night she was still in there. I took her out and put her on the roust with the rest of the birds and this morning she is in there again. Anybody know what's up? Thanks so much for any advice.

JB

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi all,

Im concerned about one by birds. She is a Satin. She is definitely the runt in the coop but she holds her own and actually is a little more aggressive (although not really) than the other birds. Everyone seams real happy. She went into the laying boxes yesterday afternoon (she has been laying for a month now) and didn't come out. When I put them to bed at night she was still in there. I took her out and put her on the roust with the rest of the birds and this morning she is in there again. Anybody know what's up? Thanks so much for any advice.

JB

It sounds like you have a broody hen! Unless you want her to hatch some eggs for you, you should remove her from the nest as often as she climbs back in, be careful she may peck you...

 

[gointothebirdsfarm]

That's what I was thinking. Like the above post said be careful...chicken pecks HURT. She may be the nicest little hen ever...until you try to pick her up off her her eggs.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

It sounds like you have a broody hen! Unless you want her to hatch some eggs for you, you should remove her from the nest as often as she climbs back in, be careful she may peck you...

I agree! Sounds broody. @RunChixRun is she making lots of clucky noises and fluffing up her feathers? Those are other sure signs of broodiness. There's lots of good articles and advice on the internet to breaking, or encouraging, a broody hen. Here's a good one from BYC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/encouraging-or-discouraging-broodiness-in-your-hens.64397/

 

[RunChixRun]

Thanks all. Ive seen the term "broody", have been meaning to look it up and now I know.
JB

 

[aart]

These are my go-to signs of a broody:

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[boskelli1571]

cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?